School Policies

Students must ride the bus assigned to them unless they have a pass from the school.

Students must get on and off at their designated bus stop only.

Stops are designated by the Board of Education.

It is acceptable for the bus to come 5 minutes earlier or 5 minutes later than the given time.

A student may walk up to 3 tenths of a mile to a designated bus stop.

Students may only go to babysitters within their attendance zone.

All Kindergarten Students must have a Parent or Guardian at the bus stop.

Update / New Policy & Procedures:

Bus Expectations

Transportation to and from school must be done in a safe and orderly environment. Students are expected to maintain this environment by limiting distractions to the driver and following all state and federal safety regulations. All school rules apply while students are on school buses. Riding is a privilege that may be revoked upon violation of school rules or safety regulations.

The Transportation Department assigns each eligible student a bus route and pickup time/location. These are not to be changed unless prior coordination is made with the Transportation Department as routes are configured for safe student load capacities. Parents of children enrolled in Kindergarten are expected to be present when the child arrives home or have a responsible adult present when a child arrives home. The adult needs to meet the child at the stop or be clearly visible in the home when the bus arrives.

The District recognizes that on occasion a child may have to go to a location other than their regular destination in the afternoon. We ask that a written note be sent to school with the child when a parent is requesting a child ride to a different location. When the request is received by the office the child will be provided with a bus pass. For safety and accuracy in this process, we ask that you abide by these rules:

Bus pass requests must be received at the school by 1:00 pm.

Bus pass requests must be provided in writing with parent signature.

Phone calls for bus passes will not be permitted unless the situation is deemed an emergency by the principal, assistant principal or school head teacher, as appropriate.

In general, students will not consume food or drink while riding on school buses. This is to limit the possibility of a variety of health and safety hazards. Exceptions to this rule include supervised trips (e.g., field trips, sports trips), trips to and from BOCES programs, and other circumstances cleared through the administration in conjunction with the transportation director.

Prescription and non-prescription drugs shall not be transported on the bus without prior coordination with the school administration and nursing staff.

Students are expected to remain in their seats while the bus is in motion. This limits distractions to the driver and will limit the possibility of falling as a result of bus movements. Students shall not block the center aisle with feet, equipment or personal belongings.

Students are expected to be ready to load the bus at the time established by the Transportation Department. Because of traffic there is a five (5) minute variance from the established time. For example, if the established pickup time is 8:12 am, the bus may show up any time between 8:07 and 8:17. This variance is not applicable to days with inclement weather. The bus will wait no longer than 30 seconds at a pickup point if it arrives at the scheduled time or within the variance window around the scheduled time. If a student misses the bus during this established time window, it is the parent’s or guardian’s responsibility to provide transportation to school for that day.

Unless prior coordination takes place, large items are prohibited on the bus during home to school runs. This includes large musical instruments (drums, tubas, guitars, amplifiers, electric pianos) and oversized sports equipment (golf clubs, lacrosse gear bags). As a general rule, if it cannot ride in a student’s lap, it should not be brought onto the regular school bus. If transportation of equipment of this nature is anticipated, the Transportation Department requires 24 hours advanced notice to schedule a bus with cargo capacity. This can be done by contacting your school office and making your request.

Unless prior coordination takes place with the school, live animals will not be transported on school buses. This includes insects, reptiles, birds, amphibians, and other small mammals or pets.